those sneaky outlet bastards.. 5 tips for the next time you go to the outlets

so this was a post i did awhile back and i thought i'd share it again because it's actually some good advice! go me back in the day.

these are tips for when you're shopping at outlet stores and tricks to keep in mind while doing so that i read in an article back in 2013.. here's what they had to say. along with a little of my two cents.

one. location: if you've ever noticed, they locate outlet malls wayyy out of the way or right off an interstate in the middle of freakin' nowhere. according to the article, it's the psychological reasoning. if they make you drive far, you're thinking hey i need to make my trip worth it. so you'll end up buying things you wouldn't normally buy. not to mention the land that the mall is sitting on is probably very inexpensive. 

two. return policies: the article says to make you sure you know the return policy! MOST outlet stores will only let you return merchandise back to another outlet. you can't return them to the same store at the mall. so read the receipt or ASK before you buy if you aren't sure about the item(s) you're purchasing. i'm actually really anal about return policies because i'm a little bit of an impulsive buyer, so this was a sneaky sneak i already knew. yup cooler than you.

three. different merchandise: "outlet stores often do not have discounted merchandise from their mall counterpart. they instead have an entire line of clothing manufactured just for their factory stores. these clothes are usually made with less quality fabrics and even have different tags in them. be careful, the discount price may come with discount quality. some stores that do this are: banana republic, gap, & j crew." 

anyone else noticed this? i've bought some "lesser quality" clothing from the gap outlet and i noticed AFTER i washed them. i'm very picky how i wash drey's clothes and when they don't come out how they're supposed to, it's not because of me! hate you, gap! jk i love you. i thought maybe they threw in gimpy clothes that were messed with the mix (which i'm sure they do) and that's why they weren't washing as good. but after i read the article, it all made sense! those sneaky, sneaky bastards...

so watch out for lesser quality clothing, because let's be honest, if I want cheap clothes, i'll just shop at children's place. not that children's place is bad clothing, it's just cheap. but still cute.

four. reference pricing: so because they have their own line of clothing, most of the "retail price, our price" deals are totally made up. so by stores making you think you're getting a good deal, you'll spend MORE. guilty... :-|

five. non-outlets: this was something i didn't know... "just because you're at an outlet mall, doesn't mean all the stores are outlets." they may have a larger clearance rack than most stores but they aren't outlets. some sneaky stores who do this are: under armor and nike. 

and if you're like me, you love shopping at outlets and getting good deals. so now you can shop a little smarter next time you go! you're welcome.

original article source here

potty training - tips & tricks for when they're ready

potty training your child is not a competition. there are sooo many moms and dads that stress about getting their children potty trained at "the right age". what even is that? that's not a thing.. you crazies know who i'm talking to. i mean yea, if your kid is 5 and can't go to kindergarten because he pees his pants everyday, then you have a problem. but you shouldn't put so much stress on yourself when trying to potty train your babies.

i've seen children as young as 18 months legit potty trained & the parents were like we didn't even encourage, it just happened! and then i've seen 3.5yr olds who still have no interest in the matter & will fight you until the day you give up... again ha.

kids are their own little people. they do what they want, when they want. and i firmly believe that when a child is ready to be potty trained, they will make the process so easy for you! especially if you're consistent & make it fun. if not, you're going to spend a lot more time cleaning up pee off the floor, scrubbing smeared poop from car seats & crying to yourself inside your pantry.

potty training dreydan went just as i expected. the first day was awful. granted the poor kid tried his best, but ughhhh i hated it. each day after that was a little better & a little easier. we had dance parties every time he went potty in the toilet and ice cream for dinner like 3 nights in a row. at night, he would wear his "cars man pants' (pull-ups). as far as he was concerned, they were just like undies and if he peed in them he would have to change. i would limit his liquid intake before bed & when i woke up to pee, i woke him up to come with me. after about 4 days, we left the house. i ran some errands, we got snacks to munch on, hit target for some unnecessary browsing... and we hit the potty every where we went. he had on his special 'cars man pants' just in case he forgot, but he never did. first outing.. success! my little man was officially potty trained!

so here are my biggest tips & tricks that saved my life...

+ THE 'BEGINNING PROCESS' IS EVERYTHING
it might be strange, but taking your diaper wearing child 'underwear' shopping might not sound like the best place to start. but involving them in the beginning process can get a little fire going in their brains that can really help! i took dreydan on a special trip to his favorite little store, explaining to him on the way there what we were going to do. and then again before we walked in. we were going to find him big boy undies! and he got to choose every one of them. and told me where to put them when we got home.. which was in his movie drawer. we also picked out his potty seat & stool together along with some potty books that were special for his potty time. bottom line, get them excited to start!

+ STAY HOME
once it's been decided that you're really doing it, the this is happening, you need to make sure the next handful of days are free. because your child will most likely be running around naked all day as you throw him/her on the toilet every 15 minutes. it's easier & less stressful to just stay home.

+ REWARDS
this was a big deal for drey. every time he peed in the toilet we had a dance party and i let him choose a surprise from his 'potty bag' (i stocked up on small things from the dollar store - toys, candy, books, crayons etc.. beforehand to use as rewards). he loved it. and he knew when he got them. when he would accidentally pee his undies he would run to me and say "uh-oh mommy... no toy" with his big ole brown eyes staring up at me haha. what i'm trying to say is, whether it's a potty chart & stickers, a potty bag & toys or whatever you choose to do, make every single little teeny tiny tinkle or poo in the potty a BIG deal.

+ BE CONSISTENT
this is why staying home for a good 3-4 days straight is important. it helps you stay focused on the task at hand. you can't throw them in underwear and sit them on a potty 100 times one day & then put a diaper back on them the next. because that one day of training was just wasted and now you have to start all over again. once diapers are done, they're done. whatever angle you start out with, stay with that. be consistent.

+ NEVER GET MAD
never yell at them for peeing or pooping their undies when potty training. you're dealing with a toddler, yes that gets frustrating sometimes. but it's not their fault. they really are trying their best & they need your encouragement & happy dances more than they need their mommy or daddy yelling at them for doing something that they're just barely learning how to control. and if it really is that hard on you, perhaps your child isn't ready to be potty trained just yet. stop & try again in another couple of months.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

i hope these give you a good little push in the right direction. i know not every child is the same & maybe what works for some kids, doesn't work for yours. i'm only speaking from my experience with my child. i remember getting all sorts of advice when i started drey, but not all of it appealed to me. go with what works!

**one of dreys favorite things i did with him while he was sitting on the toilet was read to him his potty books. i ordered a couple on amazon before we started & he just loved them! there are so many out there, i just clicked on a couple with good reviews, drey picked his favorites and they turned out to be perfect. cute, witty, and helped get the point across from another point of view other than his moms. he still reads them to this day and he's almost 5! haha

how was your potty training experience with your babies?

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Tips on Road Tripping with a Toddler!

Dreydan is a professional traveler. His first road trip was when he was a whopping 9 days old at about an 8.5 hour drive. It's been a non-stop ride from there.
We've been everywhere from CA, AZ & all the way to AL and back. And that's driving.
These tips are things I've learned along the way that work out for not only Drey, but me as well.
Because when your toddler is happy, the whole car is too. 

one.Comfortable Attire ||

Seriously I'm the best mom, or maybe just a crackhead, but this is first & foremost in my book! If you're any sort of decent human, you can't travel in anything other than the baggiest pair of sweatpants you own. If you aren't comfortable sitting in a car for hours in jeans, neither is your child. I make sure Drey has on the comfiest undies, sweatpants & shirt that he owns. The homlier, the better{slogan for my life}. How do you know those are the most comfortable for him? The same way that crazy lady down the street knew her cat wanted be cremated & scattered across her lawn. We just know, okay.

two.Entertainment ||

This is super broad and needs like 100 sub categories. But there are only 3 I'll focus on...

• Toys- I have a secret. When I'm going a road trip longer than like 6-7ish hours, I will hit up the dollar store and buy like $10-$15 worth of  toys. When Drey starts getting restless, I'll pass back a couple of his new toys & VOILA! instantly happy & distracted. He'll eventually get bored of those & I'll pass back more new toys. Repeat for the remainder of the trip. Once I'm back home, I toss the whole bag of used & abused $1 toys in the trash. It's brilliant & you're welcome. If you DON'T want to waste money on toys that are destined for the trash, then just make sure you're packing their favorite toys. Common sense, right? You'd think so, but some people are stupid... Before you leave, let them help you pack a "special" bag just for their road trip toys. Keep it convenient & accessible in the car so when you need to swap toys, it's right thur.

• Books/Coloring books- This goes hand in hand with the toys. On some of our longer trips, I've bought Drey a couple books about being on the road and traveling and he just loves it! He gets so excited that the characters in his books are doing the same thing he is. Simple minds make for simple entertainment haha. If you don't want to buy anything, just make sure you let them help you choose which books of theirs will accompany them on the trip. It makes them feel important. And then when they fight with you about not wanting "that one!" you can argue back with "you picked it!" And then you win even tho they don't understand it. But it's okay because deep down, you know it. Holler.

• Electronics- Dreydan has a Leappad, Leappad Reader, iPod Touch, & a portable DVD player. I'm not bragging, I'm actually embarrassed now that I'm talking about it. Eeesh.. These aren't necessarily my favorite, but on road trips, they're heaven! However, they are my "last resort" entertainments. When he's bored of crashing his cars, killing dinosaurs, reading books, & just won't sleep, I'll pass back the iPod or start a movie for him. Don't forget the headphones! Happy child, happy travels.

three.Snacks! ||

I'm sure you all know this. Snacks are important when traveling on the road. Throw a toddler in the mix, and they become an absolute MUST. Dreydan takes after me and has a compulsive snack eating disorder when he's bored. It's a real problem that I made up, Google it. Now, I don't know what kind of parent you are, so I'm not going to tell you what kind of snacks to pack. All I'm going to say is this, if you're going to keep them cooped up in a car, let them have special treats! Maybe snacks they wouldn't normally get at home. Give in, be cool & let your toddler be free! I let Dreydan pick his road treats every time & these are some of his faves: Fruit Gushers, GoldFish, anything chocolate, cheeto's, chocolate, chocolate & any sort of candy made of chocolate. And if you're wondering if I deprive him of chocolate, I totally don't. That boy eats chocolate for breakfast. All I'm trying to say is, have lots of snacks & make sure they are either their favorites and/or picked out by the child themselves. Done.

four.Frequent Stops ||

I can drive all day & only stop when I need fuel. I'm just cool like that. But when you have a toddler, it's crucial you let them have breaks. They need to stretch their legs, walk around for 5 minutes, get some fresh air, pee, diaper change, whatever you need to do. Rest stops along the freeway are always a good place to take a break. For the most part the bathrooms are clean and I feel safe. Elderly couples everywhere... if that doesn't make you feel safe I don't know what will. Unless you're in rural Missouri. Don't stop anywhere in rural Missouri. And don't be that crazy person yelling WE NEED TO KEEP MOVING! You sound and look like a fool. It's okay to lose an hour of your drive because you've had to stop 3 or 4 times to let the little babe run around. They'll be happier about getting back in the car, which makes your drive from A to B go very smoothly.

five.Car Vitamins ||
When I was little my mom would give us "car vitamins" while traveling. It knocked us kids right out! I loved them. I felt better, was happier & I never threw up. I have thee worst vestibular system. I don't know what that means or what it consists of, but I've diagnosed myself with it not working right. Dreydan has the same problem. He gets car sick very easily & I have to pull out the Dramamine. I always have the car vitamins handy because I know that look on his face when he's not feeling good. The first time I gave it to him was on a flight to Alabama. He was 10 months old & his pediatrician assured me he would be okay with a little less than half of a pill. He totally was. Here's a tip within a tip: If you choose to give your child Dramamine, they have orange chewables available! I'd suggest those. Keep the cold air on their body & make sure they're comfortable. If you don't "feel comfortable with pills", then enjoy cleaning out their carseat full of throw up and the lingering smell that lasts for days... Been there, f&#k that.

six.Deep Breaths, Be Happy! ||
We all get grumpy when we're stuck in a car. Tantrums & fussing are inevitable. And you know what? It's okay! Don't get upset with your babies when they're having a grump grump moment. Take a few deep breaths, remind yourself how long you've been in the car, & put yourself in their position. Not literally... that'd be retarded to squeeze yourself in their carseat. But if it helps you feel better, then who am I to say no. If they're not happy with a movie, their toys, snacks, whatever.. stop and take a break. I can't stress it enough tho, don't get mad. It'll put a bad juju on the rest of the trip and it doesn't help your child feel any better. Most of the time it's the adult that needs a break. So check yourself before you wreck yourself. Fake it till you make it. Word?

These tips are sorta molded around Dreydan. He's high maintenace & bossy.

But I think the overall idea of them will help you and hopefully your first/next road trip will be a success!

Did this help anyone? Maybe give you a little insight?

Anyone have any tips for me?! I always love to hear how people keep their babes happy on long trips.

Lets face it tho, your child will probably never travel as well as mine. I'm sorry.